Sunday, May 11, 2025

🗡sharp

Sometimes one might sit up late at night and ponder the big questions like: Knife throwing, is that for real? How does it work? What kind of nut would agree to be the throwee?

This first-person article pretty much confirms that it's a genuine thing. Bates apparently teaches it, or at least did back in 2015. He wisely doesn't give away too many trade secrets in the interview. The statement "I’ll also light the knives on fire and throw them while wearing a blindfold." must have been good for luring 'em in.

2 comments:

susan said...

Hmmm, master of the impalement arts, eh? and he teaches the skill on Dabble where one can also learn beginner's knitting, coffee roaster's basics and glass fusing among other things. Do you suppose the knife throwing class is before or after the bondage and domination class? I wonder how many people volunteered to be the throwee for the freshly trained throwers wearing blindfolds?

In days gone by knife throwers were a popular attraction at carnivals along with target shooters, jugglers, fire breathers, magicians and high divers. Now, although most of those skills are rarely practiced, what we do have is sideshow characters sharing our sidewalks. I'm not sure that's an improvement.

Ben said...

"Master of the impalement arts" doesn't sound like a phrase that would strike confidence in the hearts of those on the other side of the throwing knife. Presumably impalement is not actually something they're seeking. One curiosity of the digital age is that there are two sites/businesses called Dabble. One is for continuing ed classes and the other is for sports betting. I wonder if they both have something regarding knife throwing.

Carnivals are a playful aspect of the social world that seems to have largely disappeared. Certainly their connection with acts like fire breathers and aerialists and mesmerists seems to have lapsed. The sideshow characters on the sidewalk are more a product of neglect. Proof that we need more connection.